Posts Tagged ‘Mediterranean coast’

A building used by fishermen in the Ottoman period, containing fishhooks and fishing weights, was exposed in an archaeological excavation conducted in Ashkelon, north of the Gaza Strip.

Young residents of Ashkelon and the vicinity who were employed by the Israel Antiquities Authority in an archaeological excavation in the city, recently uncovered buildings that were once used by local inhabitants who were engaged in fishing along the Mediterranean coast. The excavation was carried out for the Ashkelon municipality, at the initiative of the Ashkelon Economic Company, in an area where a new neighborhood is slated to be built, in the northern part of the city.

As part of a project being led by the IAA and aimed at educating young people about their past, dozens of boys and girls were engaged in the challenging work of unearthing the coastal city’s past.

The finds that were discovered: metal fishhooks, dozens of lead weights, a large bronze bell.

According to the excavation directors, Federico Kobrin and Haim Mamliya, “Two of the buildings that we uncovered are very curious, and it seems they were used as a fisherman’s house and a lookout tower, possibly a lighthouse, dating back to the Ottoman period (1299 to 1922 CE). The tower was situated on a lofty hilltop, and it looks out over the Mediterranean Sea. From the tower one could signal and direct ships that were sailing between the ancient ports in Ashkelon and Ashdod-Yam.”

Kobrin adds, “The fisherman’s house is divided into three rooms, and a wealth of artifacts was discovered in it that are indicative of its use: metal fishhooks, dozens of lead weights, a large bronze bell, and even a stone anchor. The building’s entrances were fixed in the north in order to prevent the high winds and sea storms from entering into it.” According to the archaeologists, “this is the first time that a building was exposed in Ashkelon that we can attribute with certainty to the fishing industry.”

Federico Kobrin, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, near the lookout tower.

Kobrin noted that “working with youth was both a challenge and extremely satisfying. The young people participated in uncovering part of their city’s past; they labored diligently and conscientiously, showed their interest and curiosity regarding the finds, and it was a pleasure to work with them.”

The fisherman’s house will be preserved and incorporated in the development of the neighborhood and strip of beach for the benefit of the residents and to create a connection between them and those who lived and fished there in the past.

An Israeli Navy patrol sank a suspected smuggler boat that was heading for the Gaza coastline in the wee hours of Saturday, according to the IDF.

The vessel was alleged to be a fishing boat, but it was packed with sacks as it approached the Gaza shore from the direction of Egypt.

Israeli Navy officers warned to vessel to stop, and the patrol also fired warning shots in the air as well as into the water to divert the boat.

As it continued on course, Israeli Navy forces noticed the crew on the vessel throwing the contents of the boat overboard, and then the crew dove into the sea after the packages.

The vessel continued on course, and the Navy patrol opened fire and sank it. The question remains as to whether the smugglers managed to regain their packages underwater and swim with them to safety.

Both Israel and Egypt have maintained a naval blockade of coastal Gaza in order prevent smuggling of weaponry, ordnance and other contraband.

Arab media quoted the IDF last week as saying the Israel Navy had decided to permit expansion of the permitted fishing zone “south of Wadi Gaza (south of Gaza City) from six to nine nautical mines” in advance of the coming fishing season. The IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) estimates such a decision could increase the Gaza economy by NIS 4,000, AFP reported.

It gets even worse on Sunday, and a horrid heat wave will stick around for several days. Sunday will be the worst, when temperatures will reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius) in Eilat, but the rest of the week simply will be a bit “less hot” but not “cooler.”

My friend David Goldberger sent me this image of an sea turtle that was washed ashore Monday on the Netnaya beach, just south of the Carmel Hotel.

Is the water polluted? he wanted to know. Does this pose dangers we are unaware of?

According to Yaniv Levy, manager of the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Center at Michmoret, a few miles north of Netanya on the Mediterranean coast, some 2,000 to 3,000 turtles used to nest along Israel’s shores at the turn of the 20th century. Now the numbers are down to about 180 loggerheads and fewer than 20 green turtles, and he estimates that only 10 green females in Israel are capable of egg laying.

According to Levy, the turtles face many dangers: pollution, plastic bags and other litter; outboard motors and fishing nets; jeeps hurtling along beaches. About 50 injured turtles are brought to the Rescue Center every year, most of them victims of human activity.

“We treat injured turtles and return them to the sea, gather and incubate eggs before returning the hatchlings to the beaches, raise public awareness of the issue and help preserve the coastline and establish coastal nature reserves,” Levy says.